Multicolor cinematograph and other film and method of producing the same



Nov. 12,1929.l J, E, THORNTQN Y l ,735,8l1

MULTICOLOR GINEMATOGRAPH AND OTHER FILM AND `METHOD oF PRoDUcING THE SAME originalil'ed May 5, 1924 dabzzzzaf/Z fm Patented Ney. 12, 1929 UNITED STATES *PATNT ,FFICE JOHN EDWARD THORNTON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN OWDEN OBRIEN,

0F MAN CHESTER,I ENGLAND MULTIooLoB. CINEMATOGRAPH AND OTHER FILM AND METHOD or rnoDUcIimy THE SAME original applicati@ mea 'may 5', 1924, serial No. 711,251, and in Great Britain may 1s, 1923. Divineo" and this application led October 3, 1925.

I have filed an application for this invention in Great Britain, No. 13,358 of 1923 dated May 18, 1923.

The instant application isa divisionof application Serial No. 711,251, filed May 5, 1924.

This invention relates to the production of multi-color positive pictures on cinematograph lm or other transparent supports in four colors by formin our color-component images upon a sing e support of double standard width and half standard thickness, with two of the color componentsupon one half-width and the other twoV upon the other half-width, the second color being 'printed over the first by the superimposed class of printing and at a second o eration after completion of the first lpair of prints, the

printed` film beingV subsequently longitudinally severed and the two parts superimposed and cemented together with the four separate printed images assembled and superimposed in one picture area tov form a single film of multi-color pictures in four colors.

According to the invention, I simultaneously print two of the component images side by side upon a double-width strip of sensitive film-material from a corresponding double-width, negative, and after developing and inishing the iirst pair, each in a different color, I print a second pair of the component images side by side superimposed upon Jvthe irst pair, and after developing and iinishing each of the two prints of the second pair in its own color, the strip is next longitudinally severed to form two single strips which are ,then cemented together one upon the other, so that the four-color component images are assembled and superimposed in one picture area and form a single. picture of four colors It is 'assumed that suitable negatives or printing cliches have been provided, which may be produced by any of the well known methods of splitting a picture into its color components. `v

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figi 1 is a perspective view of the cinematograph film-positive. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a double ,colloid having colored pigmentv or dyes in- Scrial No. 60,346.

width support having a layer of colloid applied thereto with dyed images on said colloid ayer.

Fig. 4 is a view, l.similar to Fig. 3, of a double width support after images have been formedin the firstcolloid layer and a layer of adhesive and a second layer of colloid has? been applied over said images.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the double width film coated with dye after the images on the o0 secondlayer of colloid have been printed, developed and finished.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of a double width support bearing the two colloid layers on each of which partial images are formed.

Printing processes rThere are various printing processes which vcan'be utilized, either alone or .by combina tion of two or more, and of these the following are fof chief interest for the present Ainvention i (A) Gelatino-silver emulsion, printed, developed, hardened, bleached, and its images' dyed afterwards.v

(B) yGelatino-silver emulsion having colored pigment or dyes incorporated with the emulsion, the portion of coloring matter not required in the image being removed after development. y

(C) Bichromated gelatine or other suitable colloid, printed and hardened, developed, 'a

bleached, washed, and dyedV afterwards.

(D) Bichromated gelatine or other suitable corporated with the colloid, the portion of coloring matter not required in the image being removed after development.

The second pair of images may also be printed by any of the imbibition processes, such ashydrotype, pinatype, dye-printing, and the like, or by any ofthe photo-mechanical processes.

The-methods of printing, development, and other treatment will vary according to the particular sensitizing 'and printing processes adopted in preparing the film.

Forming the 'r'st pair of component mages The first pair of prints are made direct side 10.0I

i by Side upon the doable-width half-thickness strip of sensitized material, as'follows:

A double-Width support C of celluloid, cellulose-acetate, or the like, is first preparedwith an Aadhesive substratum A of the usual" kind, and then coated with the first layer of gelatino-silver-bromide emulsionl F. It 4is subsequently printed from a double-Width negative havingthereon the first two of the four component images each of which repre- \sents a portion of the completed picture. The printed images are developed, fixed,

washed and dried in the usual known manner.y

well-known, but a bath containing salts of copper or salts of tin. is preferred. The

i first pair of images is then,dyed to their respectivecolors by suitable dyes which will be precipitated upon the mordanted i ages I and thus produce insoluble lakes ofineacli color, while the remainderof the film remains Lunolored.

" -A second adhesive substratum A is placed upon the dyed'images and' a further-layer of sensitized colloid Sis affixed tothe adhesive substratum--A. A second pair of non-relief asiimages is then printed side by side uponl the layer of colloid S 4superimposed upon the Iimagesof'the colloid layerF. The two-images of the colloid layer S are then dyed in .twodierent colors to 'form a four-color pic- 40 tllle. p A A` v -y Illiaeellemeofufs points- Printing apparatua+No special description of thel printing appliances for photoi chemical printing is necessary, other than` to 45 'say that where silver sensitizing is used-the' may be printed either by contact or pro- ]ection, and with' print-ing machines and electric filament lamps as usual.I Double or single "wid h In carrying the 505 invention into practice, the use of'doublewidth printing-cliches and double-width positive-strips is described, and I prefer to' use a ldouble-width support and make two printsside-by-side as -two parallel stripes, in

-order to ensure that expansion and contraction will be identical for each.

` AssembZ-ing, eemefitng qnd completing in positives, upon a double-width thin. support which has been cut into two strips after printing and treating, it now only remains to assemble and unite them to form a single positive film.

At this stage'itivis possible to produce finished positive-films of different c haracteristics, according to the manner of assembly of the components.

The particular methods of cemen'tingthe two sections together are not material to the present invention;v for the strips may be joined by any known means capable of making a flexible and permanent union.

Butiii practice I prefer to unite the films face-to-face (printed-colloid to printed-colloid) by an adhesive A2. By this means the delicate printed images are enclosed within the body ofthe completed film, and the thin celluloid supports form transparent outer covers, the/whole forming a scratchless-image multi-color film.

- The colors obtainable I Although the result is referred to as a-fourcolor film, (because there are four differently-colored component images contained therein) the actual range of colors shown when thewpicture is projected upon a screen or examined as a transparency is greater than four colors. For example, each finished filmprint composed of two thin films of half pictures will contain four' primary images, the

colors of which may be (as a suitable com-v bination) crimson, green, blue and yellow; and where two or more of these colors are combined in the ltransparency by portions of the images overlapping, they will format those'points secondary colors comprising orange, blue-green, purple, brown, black, and other intermediate shades; thus the colorscale obtainedA by, this four-color .film construction is very much longer in its range than that-'produced by any two-color or tlireecolor cinematograpli film construction such as hitherto known'.

`Other applz'catz'ons n Although the primary object: of this invention is the cheap production of large'quantitiesof cinematograph positivefilm pictures or similar transparencies or small size in continuous lengths, exactly the same novel ages, combined tov produce tifo half-pictures, each of two colors upon two supports) can be iio construction (utilizingfour component-imapplied t'o-the'production of non-cinematograph or non-series transparencies of larger size and various shapes', such as portraits, landscapes, advertisements. or ,the numerous types of pictures produced by amateur and professional photographers; and it provides a simpler and better system for producing such pictures than many of tlie other pre- Having completed the two half-pictures plates for lantern slides. window transparenlsues capable of being readily transferred to glass, Celluloid or liketransparent mediums', and to wood, metal, and like opaque mediums. For all these supports it is desirable to only `cement the images face-to-face.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect hy Letters Patent is 1. A four color picture positive cinematograph film comprising two half standard thickness supports cemented together face to face, a layer of colloid upon one support having partial images printed thereon in one color, a layer of adhesive upon said layer of colloid, a second layer of colloid upon the said layer of adhesive and having partial images printed thereon in a second color, a layer of sensitized colloid upon the second support having partial images printed thereon in a third color, a layer of adhesive on the lastnamed layer of colloid, a second layer of colloid upon the last-named layer of adhesive and having partial images printed thereon in a fourth color, each of the partial images in the four layers of colloid representing those portions of the picture which appear in its respective color.

\ 2. The herein-described method of producing a four color single width film transparency consisting in placing upon each half j width of a double width semi-thickness trans# parent support a sensitized colloid layer printing and developing separate partial images of those portions of the picture which appear in two colors, one partial image on each half width, subsequently. dyeing said partial images in their respective colors, recoating the printed and dyed picture area on each half width with a second sensitized colloid layer,'printing and developing a further separate partial image of those portions of the picture which appear in two. other colors, one partial image on each half width of said support, dyeing the last-named portions of the picture in their respective colors, severing the film into twollongitudinal strips, and superimposing the two strips in accurate register and adhesively-attaching the two strips with the images borne thereby superposed:

3. The herein-described method of produc' ing a four-color single width film transparand dyed picture area on each half W'idthlvith v a second sensitized colloid layer, printing and ency consisting in placing a sensitized colloid layer upon each half of a double width semithickness transparent support, printing and developing separate partial images of those portions of the picture which appear in two colors, one partial image on each half width, subsequently' dyeing said partial images in theirvrespective colors, recoating the printed developing a further separate partial image of those portions of the picture which appear intwo other colors, one partial image on each l half width, dyeing the last-named partial images in their respective colors, dampening the colloid faces of both strips and superposing my hand.

JOHN EDWARD THORNTON. 

